Collapsible box



Sept. 17, 1935.

A. L. WHITON COLLAP Filed Dec. 7, 1954 2 sheets-sheet 1 Sept. 17, 1935.

A. L. WHITON 1 COLLAPSIBLE BOX Filed Dec.' '7, 1954 2 sheets-sheet 2 :f- C-/f f Patented Sept. 17, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application December 7, 1934'l Serial No. 756,393

6 Claims.

and battens intertting one another to lockingly hold the Various walls of thef box in intertting relation with one another, with the last wall when in closed position serving as a lock for certain of the -other walls of the box.

It is an object of this invention to provide a collapsible box Vor crate, the walls of which are locked together byA means of interiitting grooved cleats and battens. V

It is also an object of this invention to provide a collapsible box Ywherein the various walls are interttingly engaged with one another without the use of metal guides and the like.

It is a further object of this invention to pro vdea knock-'down box or crate wherein the various walls are provided with grooved intertting cleats and battens Vformed with tenons and mortises facilitating the interlocking Yof the various walls of the box or crate, with the last wall insertable in position adapted to be provided with a locking or securing means which serves to hold the box or crate assembled and prevents opening and separation of the interitting walls of the box or crate.

It is furthermore an object of this invention to provide a collapsible or knock-down box or crate consisting of a plurality of walls or panels constructed of wood and having wooden grooved cleats and battens secured thereto, allowing the walls to be slidably intertted with one another in a predetermined order, with certainof the walls tailed tenons and mortises permitting each of the`` walls to be slidably intertted with two of the other box walls to permit rapid assembly `and' dismantling ofthe box andV Vrequiring a" securing means for only the last wall insertable in position for locking or closing the entire box in its as'- sembled form.

VOther and further important 'objects of this invention will be apparent from the disclosures in the specification and theaccompanying drawings. Y

The invention (in it's'preferredvform) is illustrated in the drawings' and hereinafter more fully described..

On the drawings: V

Figure l is an isometric view of a collapsible or knock-down box or crate embodying the prin- 5 ciples of this invention and showing the slidable interfitting relation of the box walls incompletely assembled.

FiguregZ is an end elevation of the collapsible box in complete assemblage with the top locking 10 means yin position.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary isometric View of one of the battens or cleats removed from a box wall.

Figure 4 is an enlarged top plan View of the l5 completely assembled box or crate showing the top wall locking means in position.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary vertical detail section taken on line V-V of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary vertical detail sec- 20 tion taken on line VI-VI of Figure 4.

Figure '7 isa fragmentary detail section taken on line'VII-VII of Figure 2.

As shown on the drawings:

The improved collapsible or knock-down box Z5 is constructed entirely of wood, with the possible exception of nails, glue or other securing means securing the cleats and battens to the walls of the box, as hereinafter more fully described. The knock-down box comprises two end walls or panels l each of which has rigidly secured across the bottom margin of the outer face thereof a bottom'cleat 2. Also rigidly secured to the outer surface of each of the end walls l are a pair of parallel battens 3 the lower ends of which seat upon the upper surface of the bottom cleat 2. The end wall battensv 3V extend upwardly to within a short distanceV of the upper end of the end wall and each of said battens 3 is provided with a V-shaped groove or half dovetail mortise i forming a half 40 dovetail tenonv 5 on'ithe batten.

Rigidly secured across the bottom margin of the inner face of each of the end' Walls or panels IV is a bottom cleat 6 which is also provided with a V-shaped or half dovetail mortise i and with a half dovetail tenon 5. Also rigidly secured on the inner surface of each of the end walls i across the upper margin thereof is an upper cleat l which is also provided with a half dovetail mortise 4 and with a'half 'dovetail tenon 5. An opening 8 is provided through the top central portion of each of the end walls or panels I and extends through each of the upper cleats fl.

Removably disposed between the bottom ends of the end walls l is a slidable bottom wall or panel 55 9 which is also constructed of wood and has rigidly secured to the bottom side thereof a pair of transversely disposed parallel battens I0. Each of the battens I is provided with a V-shaped or half dovetail mortise 4 and with a half dovetail tenori 5. As clearly illustrated in Figure 1, the bottom wall 9 is slidably pushed into position with the bottom battens IU slidably intertting the bottom end wall cleats 6. TheA width of the bottom wall 9 is exactly the same as the width of the end walls I, and the length of the battens I0 is exactly the same as the length of the bottom end wall cleats 6.

The opposite sides of the collapsible box or crate are closed by means of removable side walls or panels I I, each of which has rigidly secured across the end margins of the inner sides thereof a pair of parallel cleats I2, each of which is provided with a half dovetail mortise 4 and with a half dovetail tenon 5. As clearly illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, the width of the side walls II is slightly greater than the length of the side wall cleats I2 and project beyond the lower ends of the side wall cleats to form an overlapping retaining bead or flange at I3 substantially equal to the thickness of the bottom wall 9 to seat adjacent the side edges of said bottom wall to hold the same locked in position when the side walls are in their lowermost position with the side wall cleats slidably intertting the end wall battens 3 and with the lower ends of the side wall cleats seating against the top of the end wall bottom cleats 2.

The box is now completely assembled with the exception of the top which is removable and consists of a top wall or panel I4 having rigidly secured transversely upon the top surface thereof a pair of parallel top wall battens I5 each of which is formed with a half dovetail mortise 4 and with a half dovetail tenon 5. The top wall I4 is slidably pushed into position with the end margins of the wall slidably engaged beneath the top end wall cleats I and with the top wall battens I5 slidably intertting the top end wall cleats 1. When the top wall is in its completely closed position, the side or longitudinal margins of the top wall I4 overlap the upper edges of the side walls I I, as clearly illustrated in Figure G, thereby locking the side walls against slidable upward movement and completing the assembly of the knock-down box or crate.

Any suitable means may beemployed for the purpose of securing the top wall I4 in place against removal so that the box may be used for shipping purposes and the like. One means for locking the top wall in position is by the use of a spring cotter pin I6 which is slidably projected through an opening I1 (Figure 1) which extends transversely through each of the top wall battens I5. When the top wall is in its closed position the openings I'I register with the openings 8 in top margins of the end walls of the box so that the split ends of the cotter pins can project through the slots I1 and have their ends bent over as clearly illustrated in Figures 2 and 4. If desired, the top wall I 4 may be nailed to the side walls I I or any other satisfactory means may be employed for securing the top wall in place to complete the locking up of the box.

The improved collapsible box or crate has the various walls thereof provided with grooved cleats or battens which are so arranged that the various walls may be slidably interfitted with one another with the side walls serving as a locking means for locking the bottom wall and end walls in place and with the top wall serving as a locking means for locking the two side walls against removal. The box may be readily disassembled when not in use to permit reshipment and reuse thereof. The intertting and interlocking arrangement of the various walls of the collapsible box provides an arrangement which eliminates the necessity of providing nails, screws or other devices for fastening the walls together to form a completed container requiring only a locking means for securing the top Wall in place to prevent disassem- 10 bling of the box. A novel result is accomplished by the use of the cleats and battens which are each provided with a half dovetail mortise and a half dovetail tenon permitting the slidable intertting and interlocking of the various Walls of the box.

It will, of course, be understood that various features of this construction may be varied through a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention, and it is, therefore, not the purpose to limit the patent granted hereon otherwise than necessitated by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A collapsible box comprising a pair of end walls having dovetailed cleats and battens secured thereto, a bottom wall having dovetailed battens secured thereto slidably intertting certain of the dovetailed cleats of the end walls, a pair of side walls having dovetailed cleats sesured thereto and slidably intertting the dovetailed battens of the end walls, said side walls when in position overlapping the side edges of the bottom wall to hold the bottom wall locked in position, and a top Wall having dovetailed battens secured thereto and slidably intertting the dovetailed cleats of the end walls, said top wall when in position overlapping the upper edges of the side Walls to hold the side Walls locked in place.

2. A collapsible box comprising a pair of end walls having dovetailed cleats and battens secured thereto, a bottom wall having dovetailed battens secured thereto slidably intertting certain of the dovetailed cleats of the end walls, a. pair of side walls having dovetailed cleats secured thereto and slidably interntting the dovetailed battens of the end walls, said side Walls when in position overlapping the side edges of the bottom wall to hold the bottom wall locked in position, a top Wall having dovetailed battens secured thereto and slidably intertting the dovetailed cleats of the end walls, said top wall when in position overlapping the upper edges of the side walls to hold the side Walls locked in place, and means for locking the top Wall in position to lock the assembled box.

3. A collapsible box or crate comprising in combination a plurality of dovetailed members secured to the Walls and slidably intertting one another to hold all of the walls in slidable assembled relation, and means for releasably securing one of the walls in position to lock the remaining Walls against slidable disengagement from one another.

4. A collapsible box comprising a pair of end walls, stop cleats secured to the outer surfaces thereof, dovetailed battens also secured to the outer surfaces of the end walls, lower dovetailed cleats and upper dovetailed cleats secured to the inner sides of the end walls, a bottom wall, dovetailed battens secured to the bottom surface thereof and slidably engaged With the bottom dovetailed cleats of the end Walls, a pair of side walls, dovetailed cleats secured to the inner surfaces thereof and slidably intertting the dovetailed battens on the outer surfaces of the end walls, said side walls overlapping the side edges of the bottom wall to hold the bottom wall in position against removal, a top Wall, and dovetailed battens secured to the top surface of the top wall and slidably interftting the upper dovetailed cleats of the end Walls to hold the entire box in assembled relation, said top wall when in position overlapping the upper edges of the side Walls to hold the same locked against removal.

5. A collapsible box comprising a pair of end Walls, stop cleats secured to the outer surfaces thereof, dovetailed battens also secured to the' outer surfaces of the end Walls, lower dovetailed cleats and upper dovetailed cleats secured to the inner sides of the end walls, a bottom wall, dovetailed battens secured to the bottom surface thereof and slidably engaged With the bottom dovetailed cleats of the end walls, a pair of side Walls, dovetailed cleats secured to the inner surfaces thereof and slidably interfitting the dovetailed battens on the outer surfaces of the end walls, said side walls overlapping the side edges of the bottom wall to hold the bottom wall in position against removal, a top Wall, dovetailed battens secured to the top surface of the top Wall and slidably intertting the upper dovetailed cleats of the end Walls to hold the entire box in assembled relation, said top wall when in position overlapping the upper edges of the side Walls to hold the same locked against removal, and means for securing the top wall to the body of the box to completely lock the entire box and prevent disassemblage thereof.

6. A collapsible box of the class described comprising top, bottom, sides and end walls, and mortised and tenoned members secured to said Walls positioned to enable all of said Walls to be slidably interengaged with one another in a predetermined order to lock the bottom Wall and the side Walls from disengagement with the end 20 

